What is empathy - do you need empathy and compassion in life? The Dark Side of Empathy: Why Empathizing with Others Often Hurts You The desire and ability to emotionally empathize with another person.

When they talk about the peculiarities of our time, they talk about the crisis of values, human indifference and lack of sympathy. Have people really forgotten about mercy, pity and empathy? Psychologists who have worked with empathic clients are well aware of how much empathy remains in our world, because many of their clients' problems are caused precisely by an excess of empathy for other people's adversity.

What does the term "empathy" mean? And what is the ability to sympathize and empathize for a person - a gift or a curse? What danger can empathy pose to us?

Empathy and sympathy

The term "empathy" is often used as a synonym for empathy. In fact, there is a significant difference between these concepts.

The main difference between sympathy and empathy lies at the level of experience. The fact is that a sympathetic person will not experience the same emotions as the object of sympathy, while an empath fully shares the experiences of the object of sympathy, while blurring the line "my emotion - your emotion."

Sympathy can involve pity for another person, and regret, and assistance, and care, but at the same time, a certain emotional barrier remains between the sympathizer and the object of his sympathy: “this is your sadness. I feel sorry for you, but I don't feel the same way."

Empathy, on the other hand, always involves empathy: an empath experiences pain, sadness, and other emotions of another person as their own. The manifestation of empathy is based on the similarity of life experience. When we learn about the misfortune of another person (his grief, loss, illness, etc.), we correlate the information received with the “file cabinet” of our own experience when we found ourselves in similar situations, and this helps us understand the state of another person, experience feelings who are now overpowering him. That is, we are in any case capable of manifestations of empathy. Because we know well what pain, disappointment, sadness and other unpleasant experiences are.

Types of empathy

Empathy is a complex psychological phenomenon that has different components and ways of manifestation. In an attempt to more accurately define and describe this phenomenon, the famous authority in the field of emotional psychology Paul Ekman singled out three types of empathy:

• cognitive empathy

This kind of empathy involves the ability of a person to put himself in the place of another, understand his feelings and predict further behavior. A person analyzes the features of the current situation in which another has fallen, and compares it with a similar experience from his own life. That is, in this case, a person can imagine what he would do in a similar situation, and this helps him better understand the feelings of the interlocutor.

• emotional empathy

Emotional empathy also includes the ability to put oneself in another person's shoes, but it also involves experiencing the other person's emotions. Here the boundaries of one's own emotional sphere and the emotions of another person are blurred. Probably, everyone in their life had a situation when, while watching especially heartbreaking scenes from a movie or reading dramatic paragraphs of a book, you suddenly started to cry. Experiencing the same pain, sadness and fear as the character of this work of art - this is a manifestation of emotional empathy.

• compassionate empathy

In some cases, empathy is not limited to understanding the feelings of another and experiencing the same emotions. Watching sorrowful experiences often causes a desire to help another person, so empathy can develop into an act of helping - this will be a manifestation of compassionate empathy.

It must be understood that the division of empathy into types is rather conditional: in real life, the act of empathy includes understanding the emotions of another person, and sharing these emotions, and real actions aimed at helping.

The danger of empathy

In general, empathy is usually assessed as a positive phenomenon. First, empathy helps us to be more human, to sympathize and empathize. Without empathy, humanity would turn into a tribe of prudent and ruthless individuals who do not take into account the interests of other people on the way to achieving their own goal. The ability to empathize can also keep us from rash words and actions, it teaches us to be more correct and show a sense of tact (for example, understanding the state of a person who has experienced a loss, we try to behave in such a way as not to aggravate the negative feelings of this person).

Secondly, empathy helps us to better understand other people and ourselves, to expand our emotional experience. In trying to understand another person's experience, we learn to read a variety of verbal and non-verbal cues that help pinpoint their emotions. By showing sympathy, we learn to evaluate ourselves: as a kind and sympathetic person or as a callous and “thick-skinned” person.

However, it should be noted that the manifestation of empathy also involves some dangers for a human empath. These dangers of empathy include:

• "Mind Reading"

Empathy can be very helpful in establishing rapport if you are able to correctly recognize the other person's emotions. However, it can also be detrimental to rapport if you "understand" the other person's experiences incorrectly. In such cases, empathy can turn into the illusion of "mind reading": you imagine what the other person feels or thinks, and firmly believe that you managed to correctly "decode" his thoughts. In fact, no one can guess for sure which thoughts provoked the experience of certain emotions.

• Emotional burnout

The main and main danger that awaits an empath is emotional burnout or empathic fatigue. Human resources are not unlimited, so empathic people eventually burn out like candles. If you constantly empathize with the troubles of other people, take on other people's negative emotions and take everything too close to your heart, then emotional burnout appears. This condition is characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion due to prolonged involvement in the troubles and sorrows of other people.

Representatives of “helping professions” most often suffer from this problem: psychologists, social workers, doctors, etc. Sensitive and empathic natures are also subject to empathic fatigue.

• Difficulties in relationships

In some cases, empathy can cause difficulties in relationships. For example, sometimes sincere empathy can be confused with showing sympathy or even love. Such a situation was described by the immortal Shakespeare: “She loved me for suffering, and I loved her for compassion for them.” That is, as a result of empathy, relationships are born, and when, over time, the reason for sympathy disappears ... And then what? Perhaps, in the place of simple empathy, real feelings arose. Or maybe not, and then the relationship collapses.

Thus, in the manifestation of empathy, one should adhere to the principle "everything needs a measure." The manifestation of empathy characterizes you as a wonderful and sympathetic person, but excessive empathy for other people's troubles can create problems in your own life. Therefore, even when sympathizing with another person, it is necessary to remember the existence of boundaries: it is better to save your heart and not break under the weight of someone else's misfortune.

This is what is called empathy.

Empathy with the emotional state of other people, the ability to sympathize is due to the fact that a person from early childhood begins to “monkey” - to depict the gait, posture, gestures and facial expressions of his parents. Over time, this degenerates into the fact that a person begins to "understand" the emotions of other people, regarding their current behavior. And, since, over the years, emotional baggage only increases, a person begins to subconsciously (and often consciously) substitute himself in the place of another person, from which emotional empathy stems.

Emotional empathy with another person is a great tool for relationships between people. Thanks to it, you begin to feel more subtle those people with whom you come into contact, better understand their thoughts and inner world, which means you can find more common topics for conversation and get more satisfaction from the very process of communication. Plus, you will be much better able to give useful advice and recommendations to people with whom you truly sympathize, which means you deeply understand their problem. The people you sympathize with are much more trustworthy than others, and when they sympathize with you, you feel emotional support that allows you to find the strength in yourself to overcome the problem.

But do not confuse empathy with compassion. There is a thin line between them, which, nevertheless, very much distinguishes these two emotions. If empathy is, for example, the attitude of a doctor towards a patient, then compassion is an emotion that can easily lead to emotional “burnout”, which will negatively affect your health and social life. Giving advice in such cases is meaningless, except perhaps for one thing - try to control your emotions and do not let them rule over you.

What advice can you give regarding the development of empathy? Try to observe more gestures, facial expressions, volume, pitch and emotionality of a person’s voice. Watch how he reacts to the events around him, and over time, your empathy skill will develop quite strongly.

Emotional empathy with another person will help you not be callous, which means you can better understand others, because, otherwise, the inability to understand the other can lead to a deterioration in relations or even to their complete break.

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Empathy or the ability to listen with the heart

Even as adults, we always hope that fate will give us a person who will understand us perfectly. Such a person who will share with us our joys and sorrows as his own. This wonderful feeling that allows you to emotionally feel into your interlocutor is called Empathy.

Other people's emotions - as their own

The ability to consciously empathize with other people's emotions, unfortunately, is very rare today. The term "Empathy" in psychology was one of the first to be mentioned in the works of Sigmund Freud, who argued that in order to work effectively with a patient, a psychoanalyst must take into account his emotional state. The psychoanalyst enters this state, after which he gains the ability to understand it by comparing it with his own feelings.

Today, the concept of "Empathy" means a lot. First of all, empathy is a conscious empathy for a person, his emotional state, without losing a sense of external control over such a state. In medicine and psychology, empathy is often equated with empathic listening - demonstrating that the specialist correctly understands the emotional state of the patient. In forensic science, having the skill of empathic listening means the ability to gather information about the feelings and thoughts of the subject.

For psychics, empathy is considered a special feeling, available only to some people. The significance of this ability in extrasensory perception is great: it serves as a tool for perceiving the emotional states of other people "directly", as well as broadcasting one's emotions, while the lack of direct contact with a person is not a hindrance. Such a feeling is equated with the concept of emotional telepathy.

The manifestations of empathy are very different: from complete immersion in the feelings of a communication partner (emotional or affective empathy), to an objective understanding of the experiences of a communication partner without strong emotional involvement. In this case, the following types of empathy are distinguished:

• sympathy - emotional responsiveness, the need to provide assistance;
• empathy - a person experiences the same emotions as a communication partner;
• sympathy - a very friendly and warm attitude towards a person.

Empathy is not associated with the perception of any specific emotions (as with compassion). This feeling is used to indicate empathy for any state. There are many professions in which empathic listening is not only desirable, but even necessary. These professions include almost all professions focused on communication with people:

• psychologists, psychotherapists;
• doctors;
• teachers;
• personnel managers;
• leaders;
• detectives;
• officials;
• sellers;
• hairdressers and others.

As you can see, the application of this amazing property of our psyche can be found anywhere. People with the ability to empathize are called empaths.

Can you become an empath?

You can often hear: "He is a born psychologist." Often such a phrase indicates a person's ability to emotionally empathize without special professional skills. Can you become an empath? Is empathy an innate or acquired ability? What are its signs?

According to biology, brain activity, which reflects the actions and state of other individuals, directly depends on the activity of mirror neurons. Biologists suggest that the strength of empathy depends on their activity.

An indirect confirmation of this is that people suffering from alexithymia do not have the ability to empathize, since their neurophysiological problems do not allow them to distinguish even their own emotions.

Modern experts believe that empathy is an innate and genetic property, but life experience strengthens or weakens it. The strength of empathy depends on the presence of rich life experience, accuracy of perception, and developed skills in empathic communication. Initially, women have a more developed ability to empathize, especially those who have children.

Given the innate presence of at least the rudiments of empathy, its development can be accelerated by various training methods and special exercises that develop the skills to effectively use this ability in professional and personal communication. If you want to learn to understand the emotions and feelings of others, it is useful to practice such artistic studies, such as "Memorizing Faces", "How Others See Me", "Reincarnation". They also develop the ability to empathize and sympathize with any fortune-telling, the game "Association". The development of empathy is promoted by the general development of emotionality through dance, watching movies, listening to music, and other methods of art therapy.

To identify the level of empathy in people, as well as certain aspects of this ability, there are various methods and techniques. The most reliable diagnostic aimed at determining the level of empathy is called "Empathy Quotient", for Russian-speaking users there is an adaptation of it called "Empathy Level".

Advantages and disadvantages

Empathy is a real gift that not everyone knows how to use for its intended purpose. Often this property of the psyche brings suffering to a person, because people do not always experience only joy, happiness, love and other positive states. What for one person seems to be the ultimate dream, for another is a heavy burden.

The ability to empathize and sympathize presupposes that a person has a developed personality, since an immature mind is unable to cope with a flurry of other people's emotions. Having decided to develop empathy, it is not at all superfluous to evaluate the pros and cons of such a decision.

Develop or get rid of?

Each person must decide for himself what level of empathy he needs for a comfortable life. There are 4 types of empaths in total:

Non-empaths: have completely closed their empathy channels (consciously or under the influence of trauma). These people cannot recognize non-verbal and verbal cues.

Ordinary empaths: constantly in a state of stress and emotional overload, acutely experiencing other people's problems. They often suffer from headaches. The ability to empathize is not controlled by them.

Conscious empaths: manage their ability to empathize, easily adapt to other people's emotions, knowing how not to let them through themselves.

Professional Empaths: They have great control over their ability, often using it for professional purposes. They can control any other people's emotions, change a person's mood, relieve mental and physical pain.

If fate endowed you with a developed ability to empathize, maybe it’s still worth developing it? At least in order to fulfill its purpose - to help other people.

However, a strong capacity for empathy and empathy often comes at a cost. Empaths quite often enter into asymmetric relationships without getting enough support from the partner. Such people feel uncomfortable in conflict, are not inclined to compete and defend their interests.

They often suffer from depression as well as anxiety disorders. Empaths have a hard time coping with fear, so panic attacks are possible. The ability to feel the pain of others leads to what psychologists call empathic stress.

For effective work with people, the presence of developed empathy is a real find. But empaths often have problems with personal relationships. They are so sensitive that it is impossible to hide anything from them, and any negative emotions of a partner literally “hit on the head”. Therefore, the partner of an empath must be a kind, faithful and non-conflict person.

First of all, you need to learn to manage yourself. Be able to energetically close or learn to filter perceived emotions. It is important to clearly program which energy can be passed through and which not. In addition, the empath must find a safe way to release other people's negative emotions.

You can learn to replace empathy with non-empathic sympathy - a more restrained manifestation of kindness, love and care. Take a more detached position, and you will see that feeling a person does not mean hurting him.

It’s better for empaths to realize right away that you won’t save the whole world, you won’t warm everyone. But you can always share emotions with your loved ones.

All information provided on this site is for reference only and does not constitute a call to action. If you have any symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Do not self-medicate or diagnose.

Empathy

The inner universe of each person is unique. We come into this world with our own type of temperament and go through unique life experiences that affect our habits, worldview and the way we perceive the world around us. Looking at the snowfall, one person will admiringly remark: “White snows are falling!”. Another nervously throws: "Muck in the face climbs." And despite this, we sometimes still manage to comprehend the inner world and emotional state of another person. This phenomenon is called compassion or empathy.

The origin of empathy

Empathy is a word of Greek origin, it means conscious empathy with the emotional state of another person.

When analyzing what the word “empathy” means, many confuse it with compassion, although in fact this term means the ability to empathize with any emotions, not only negative, but also positive. To date, there have been several interpretations of the term "empathy".

In medicine, he is given the role of understanding and demonstrating understanding of the emotional state of another person. Empathic listening comes to the fore here, with the goal of letting the patient speak out, encouraging him to frankly express his feelings and sensations.

In psychology, emotional empathy is considered the norm, there are even special methods for identifying people's ability for this form of mental activity, which vary from a slight response to complete immersion in the feelings of the interlocutor. But it should not be confused with identification, during which a person not only understands the feelings of another, as happens with empathy, but also in some way does not distinguish them from his own.

In fiction, the term "empath" has taken on a new meaning that is more reminiscent of emotional telepathy and is considered a psychic ability. However, in reality, such experiments with empathy could not be repeated.

Types of empathy

In classical psychology, empathy is divided into emotional, cognitive and predicative.

Emotional empathy is a form of mental activity based on the mechanisms of projection and imitation of the interlocutor's reactions (motor, affective). And speaking of empathy in everyday life, we mean precisely emotional empathy, in other words, the ability to project the experiences of another person onto oneself and reproduce these emotions on oneself.

Cognitive empathy is based on such intellectual processes as analogy and comparison. It takes place in scientific discussions and polemics.

Predicative empathy is the ability to predict how another person will feel in certain situations. And although this term is unlikely to be used by anyone in everyday life, in fact, the ability to put oneself in the place of another and predict what feelings he will experience at the same time can most people.

Psychologists also distinguish into special categories such forms of empathy as empathy and sympathy. Empathy is the experience of the emotions of the interlocutor through identification with him. Sympathy, on the contrary, is the experience of one's own emotions experienced about the feelings of the interlocutor.

Development of empathy

Emotional empathy in different people has its own special degrees of expression. The lowest level is characterized by self-centeredness and indifference to the thoughts and feelings of others. Representatives of this species did not seem to experience emotional empathy in principle. They rarely understand others, feel discomfort in unfamiliar companies, and therefore try to live in solitude. As a rule, people with low levels of emotional empathy have few friends, and those who do have more colleagues.

The second level of empathy is the most common. Its representatives are indifferent to the thoughts and feelings of others, but in rare cases they can show empathy. They are able to express emotions, but prefer to keep them under control. A manifestation characteristic of this level of development of empathy is that a person loves films and fiction books, but prefers action rather than a description of experiences.

The third level of empathy is high and at the same time rare. Its representatives understand and feel the emotions of others better than their own. These are devoted and generous friends, people who are not indifferent to the problems of others. They are contact, responsive, sociable, sincere, trust feelings and intuition. The flip side of the coin is that those with this level of emotional empathy wait for social approval for their actions and easily get out of balance.

In addition to the levels of empathy, there is also a classification of people on this basis. They are categorized as non-empaths, weak empaths, functional empaths, and professional empaths. The first category is those who do not know the feeling of empathy. The second category is well aware of empathy, only experiencing constant stress from experiencing the gravity of the world. The third category easily adapts to emotions and does not let them through. Professional empaths easily recognize emotions, even those that the interlocutor prefers to hide, but most importantly, they have the ability to manage other people's mental experiences. And this is quite a useful skill for psychologists and educators. If you want to learn to understand other people, the consistent development of empathy will help you gain this ability.

Empathy Diagnostics

In order to determine whether you are able to understand the emotional state of the people around you, there are well-established techniques. For example, empathy can be diagnosed using the emotional response scale developed by psychology professor Albert Megrabyan. This scientist proposed a simple and effective questionnaire that reveals the level of ability for emotional empathy for the feelings of the interlocutor and the degree of its correspondence to the reality of the subject.

The Empathy Diagnostic Test consists of 25 questions that rank one of five levels of empathy from very high to very low. And although it may seem to you that the highest level of empathy is also the best, in fact, hypertrophied sensitivity leads to emotional dependence, vulnerability, and even psychosomatic illness. Of course, it is worth developing the ability to listen to another, paraphrase and reflect his emotions. But at the same time, it is necessary to choose effective behavioral strategies that will allow you to strike a balance between a rational sober mind and sensitive responsive emotionality.

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What is empathy or the ability to empathize with another person and how to develop it?

To fully communicate with other people, a person must be able to understand their feelings and experiences. This is the key to building strong relationships in society. The ability that allows a person to share the emotions of other people is called empathy. Let's take a look at what empathy is, how it's useful, and whether it can be developed.

What is empathy?

Empathy is the ability of a person to perceive the feelings and emotions of other people, while not identifying them with their own. In Greek, the word "empathy" means "compassion". The term "empathy" appeared in psychology thanks to the American psychologist Edward Titchner, who studied this phenomenon and compiled a classification of the principles of empathy.

People who have the ability to empathize are called empaths. This ability is expressed to varying degrees in everyone - from weak to very strong. Some empaths become so involved in another person's experiences that they become completely absorbed in them, and begin to perceive other people's emotions as their own. But most empaths can empathize with another person without transferring their feelings to themselves.

Empathy is a very valuable quality for representatives of such professions as a doctor, teacher, psychologist, psychotherapist, personnel manager, head of an enterprise, investigator, etc. Almost all professions focused on communicating with people require some degree of empathy, skill understand and feel the inner state of another person.

Types and levels of empathy

Edward Titchner identified several types of empathy - emotional, cognitive and predicative. Let's consider them in more detail.

• Emotional. This type of empathy is based on a person's tendency to imitate the emotions of the one who is next to him, to sympathize with him, projecting his experiences onto himself. Much of human communication is built on this kind of empathy.
• Cognitive. In this case, the empath can not only feel the experiences of another person, but also perceive them from the position of the mind - analyze, find patterns, compare. This makes it possible to understand the interlocutor more deeply.
• Predicative. This type of empathy allows you to predict a person's reaction to a particular situation. An empath can mentally put himself in the place of his interlocutor and understand what feelings and experiences any situation will cause him.

In addition to types, there are also levels of empathy, each of which characterizes how much a particular person is capable of empathy.

• Low level. People with low empathy are unable to perceive the experiences of others. They are focused only on their own feelings and emotions, so it is difficult for them to understand what the other person is feeling. Such people are called emotionally callous. Usually they try to isolate themselves from others, their social circle is very narrow.
• Average level. Most people have an average level of empathy. At this level, a person is able to understand the experiences of others, but at the same time remains indifferent to their problems. Only close people cause him sincere sympathy and desire to help.
• High level. A high level of empathy allows a person to understand and feel the emotions of other people well, but at the same time he knows how not to project them onto himself. Such people, as a rule, are sociable and easily make contact. With a high level of empathy, they expect the same manifestation from the people around them.
• Raised level. People with a high level of empathy are quite rare. Their feature is the ability to experience other people's emotions as their own. Because of this, a person has a lot of problems in life. He is very vulnerable, and often feels guilty. However, if a person manages to cope with an increased level of empathy, he can make an excellent specialist in the field of medicine or psychology.

Pros and cons of empathy

Like any phenomenon, empathy can be beneficial, and it can also harm a person. So, what are the pros and cons of the ability to empathize?

• thanks to the ability to understand others, a person can become a good specialist in any field of activity related to people;
• ability to think outside the box and find original solutions;
• the ability to provide support and assistance to others;
• the ability to recognize lies and insincerity;
• the ability to effectively resolve conflicts or avoid them.

• inability to show healthy aggression if necessary;
• emotional burnout;
• constant worrying about other people's problems;
• tendency to mental disorders;
• other people may begin to take advantage of the person's kindness;
• increased anxiety and vulnerability.

How to develop empathy?

Empathy is an innate feeling and is inherent in the vast majority of people to one degree or another. With age, the ability to empathize can either increase or, conversely, weaken. It is easy to develop in young children if you teach a child to sympathize with other people and animals, to understand other people's pain and suffering.

Trusting and warm relationships between family members help to increase the level of empathy in a child. If adults teach a child to love nature, take care of animals and plants, explain that every living being is in pain and may need help, the child will be able to develop the ability to empathize.

There are exercises to help develop empathy. They are suitable for both children and adults who want to increase their level of empathy. They are performed in a group consisting of several people. You can train together.

To complete the exercise, you will need cards on which you need to write the names of different emotions - joy, anger, sadness, bewilderment, surprise, etc. Then the cards are distributed to the participants. Each of them must use gestures and facial expressions to depict the emotion that is indicated in his card. The rest of the participants must guess what kind of emotion the person is trying to show.

Participants are divided into pairs. One of them takes on the role of a monkey, and the other takes on the role of a mirror. The "monkey" should make faces, grimace and depict any emotions and feelings. The task of the "Mirror" is to repeat them as accurately as possible.

One of the participants must pick up the phone (or imagine that he has a phone in his hands) and start a conversation with an imaginary interlocutor. Before starting a conversation, he thinks about who he will “talk” with, but does not tell others about it. The task of the other participants is to guess who the interlocutor is (wife, friend, boss, client, mother, child, etc.).

Empathy is a very useful quality and it can and should be developed. However, it should be understood that too deep immersion in the problems and experiences of other people can lead to sad consequences. Therefore, every empath must learn to empathize with another person without projecting their emotions and feelings onto themselves. The ability to distinguish between your own and other people's problems is the key to the emotional stability of an empath.

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Empathy

Fundamentals of spiritual culture (encyclopedic dictionary of a teacher). - Yekaterinburg. V.S. Bezrukov. 2000 .

See what "Empathy" is in other dictionaries:

empathy - likening the emotional (see emotions) state of the subject to the state of another person (or social group); at the same time, the relation d is reflected in the individual consciousness of the subject ... Great psychological encyclopedia

empathy - empathize, ayu, aesh; nesov. (book). Sympathizing with another, experience with him his state of mind. S. with a friend. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ozhegov

empathy - n., number of synonyms: 1 empathy (4) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

EMPASSION - English. sympathy; German Vereinigung/Miterleben. Assimilation of the emotional state of the subject to the state of another person or social. groups. Antinazi. Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2009 ... Encyclopedia of Sociology

empathy - ▲ experiencing together empathy experiencing other people's sorrows. empathy. compassion. compassionate. compassionate. condolence. condole. comforter. comfort. ↓ responsiveness, isolation ... Ideographic Dictionary of the Russian Language

Empathy - cf. 1. the process of action according to Ch. empathize 2. state according to ch. empathize Explanatory Dictionary of Efremova. T. F. Efremova. 2000 ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Efremova

empathy - empathy, I ... Russian spelling dictionary

empathy - (2 s), Ex. about empathy / nii ... Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language

Empathy - - likening the emotional state of the subject to the state of another person (or social group); at the same time, the attitude of another person (or social group) to the events happening to him (or to her) is reflected in the individual consciousness of the subject. ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

EMPASSION - English. sympathy; German Vereinigung/Miterleben. Assimilation of the emotional state of the subject to the state of another person or social. groups ... Explanatory Dictionary of Sociology

Books

• The book of the prophet Amos, Hegumen Arseny (Sokolov). To be a prophet means to identify your own zeal with the suffering of God. And the reader of prophetic books needs compassion, empathy for the prophets. The prophetic word reaches… Read moreBuy for 588 RUB
• Gauguin, A. Perryusho. The author of a brightly and talentedly written book about Gauguin, the French writer Henri Perruchot, is already known to the Soviet reader for his works translated into Russian about Cezanne, Van Gogh, Lautrec, ... MoreBuy for 380 rubles
• C. Dickens. Stories, C. Dickens. The stories of Charles Dickens are narrative in nature and tell about the world in which the writer lived. The images created by Dickens are taken from reality and transferred to the "literary canvas" ... Read moreBuy for 300 rubles

Other books on request "Empathy" >>

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3: And the level of interpersonal relationships, and processed cheese (6 letters)
4: Deception, lies. (4 letters)
5: Empathy for another person. (10 letters)
6: A word with the same root as the word "society", something that people cannot do without (7 letters),
7: The level of interpersonal relations based on a common cause. A hint in the verses of A.S. Pushkin "(...), willow: she will rise, the star of captivating happiness," ..."and our names will be written on the ruins of autocracy!"( 12 letters)
Horizontally:
8. The most common interpersonal relationships in which all people we recognize participate. (Either 9 or 10 letters. The school said that it was a mistake, and there should be 9 letters)
9: Location, feeling of affection, a warm feeling for someone. (8 letters)
10: A close, relatively long relationship between two or more people based on mutual sympathy and free choice and trust. (11 letters)
11: Feeling, the opposite of sympathy (9 letters)
12: An attitude built on the belief that you will not be let down or offended (7

which are mutual. 2. Something that helps a person cope with a difficult task. 3. And the level of interpersonal relationships, and processed cheese. 4. Deception, lies. 5. Empathy for another person. 6. A word with the same root as the word "society", something that people cannot do without. 7. The level of interpersonal relationships based on a common cause. A hint in the verses of A. S. Pushkin “(...), believe: she will rise, the star of captivating happiness,<...>and our names will be written on the ruins of autocracy!” Horizontally: 8. The most common interpersonal relationship involving all the people we recognize. 9. Location, feeling of affection, warm feeling for someone. 10. A close, relatively long relationship between two or more people based on mutual sympathy and free choice and trust. 11. Feeling opposite of sympathy. 12. An attitude built on the belief that you will not be let down or offended.5. Below is a list of terms. All of them, with the exception of one, relate to interpersonal relationships. Underline the term that "falls out" of this list. Mutuality, camaraderie, mutual assistance, friendship, acquaintance, language of communication.

killed.
2) If a person stole the property of a god or a palace, then this person must be killed, and also the one who accepted the stolen goods from his hands must be killed.
3) If a person made a break in the house of another person, then before this break he should be killed.
4) If a son hit his father, then his hand should be cut off ...
5) If a person knocked out a tooth of a person equal to him, then he must knock out a tooth for him.

ARE THESE LAWS FAIR? WHY IN ANCIENT PUNISHMENT WAS SO CRULIOUS??? plz help urgent!!!

1. Humanism is:

A) incorruptibility of thought and fearlessness in the face of inhumanity;

B) philanthropy, respect for the personal dignity of a person, faith in his future;

B) sentimentality

D) a special kind of activity.

2. Worldview ideals, universal moral norms, reflecting the spiritual experience of all mankind, emerging in the process of spiritual and practical activities of people are:

A) morality

B) culture;

C) universal human values;

D) social consciousness.

3. The system of generalized views on the surrounding reality is:

A) philosophy;

B) worldview;

B) science;

D) sociology.

4. In its most complete form, morality is:

A) the conclusions that a person makes on the basis of an analysis of his behavior;

B) the science of good manners;

C) a set of principles and norms of human behavior in society;

D) formulated and legislatively fixed norms of behavior of citizens.

5. The rules “Do not do to others what you do not wish for yourself”, “Do not steal”, “Do not lie”, “Honor your elders” are the norms:

A) art

B) science;

B) morality

D) right.

6. Morality, unlike law, includes:

A) any law;

B) the Constitution of the state;

C) the charter of a public organization;

D) certain principles, norms of behavior.

7. Morality as opposed to law:

A) relies solely on the support of society;

B) contains norms of human behavior;

C) arises on the basis of the historical experience of people;

D) is in development.

8. You witnessed how one person undeservedly offended another. Which variant of behavior does not correspond to the moral choice of a humane person?

A) demand from the offender an apology to the victim;

B) pretend that it does not concern you;

C) express condolences to the person who was offended;

D) understand the causes of the conflict and achieve its elimination.

9. You accidentally, unwittingly, caused damage or harm to another person. Which choice corresponds to the moral position of a humane person?

A) do everything possible to eliminate evil, damage;

B) pretend that nothing happened;

C) to try so that no one notices the damage you have caused;

D) shift the blame on the one who suffered (let him not climb, he is to blame).

10. Criteria of human spirituality:

A) an active life position;

B) higher education;

C) adherence in thoughts and actions to universal values.

11. Worldview in human life is:

A) a guideline for its activities;

B) strengthening his life experience;

C) connection with religion and science.

12. The level of development of spiritual culture is measured:

A) the volume of spiritual values ​​created in society;

B) the quality of spiritual products;

C) how people use the achievements of spiritual culture;

D) the degree of achievement of social equality of people in their familiarization with the values ​​of culture.

13. A person's worldview depends on:

A) historical conditions;

B) life experience;

C) on the level of education;

D) internal culture.

14. Moral qualities of a person:

A) laid down from birth;

B) are developed by self-education, self-improvement;

C) are purposefully formed by society.

15. Culture in a broad sense is:

A) all types of transformational activities;

B) everything related to art;

C) the production of spiritual values;

D) education of a person.

16. Products of material culture do not include:

A) a skyscraper

B) music;

B) a car

D) TV.

17. Spiritual values ​​include:

A) a microscope

B) a computer;

B) scientific discovery;

D) video cassettes.

18. Is the judgment correct?

A. Spiritual and material culture exist independently of each other.

B. Elements of spiritual and material culture are inextricably linked.

A) only A is true;

B) only B is true;

C) A and B are correct;

D) Both are wrong.

19. The accumulation of cultural values ​​vertically is related to:

A) with the advent of new works of art;

B) deepening knowledge about culture;

C) the transmission of cultural values ​​from generation to generation;

D) restoration of cultural monuments.

In the modern world, few people think about what empathy is. The rhythm of life, stress, unstable economic situation and other troubles in life make a person think about himself and his well-being. Such a situation can lead to the decomposition of society and the destruction of traditional foundations, so we must not forget about such human qualities.

Empathy - what is it?

Sympathy is one of the most important, expressing a feeling of concern about a situation or situation. What is sympathy for? It allows a person to understand other people's emotions and remain human. Such a state can be based on the following principles:

• attachments;
• understanding;
• respect.

Often, these emotions express empathy for another person. They can be expressed in different ways:

• necessary or tender words;
• encouraging actions;
• physical or material assistance.

The ability to sympathize is good, it is important to do it on time and not be intrusive, since sometimes tense situations arise in which this “gesture” will be superfluous and there is a high probability that sympathy will cause psychological damage to the individual. Therefore, it is so important to sincerely and at the appropriate moment to manifest the emotional state in question.

How is empathy different from compassion?

Understanding what empathy and compassion are will be useful for the development of character and personality. These are similar concepts that express a feeling of empathy for another person. Their difference lies in the fact that sympathy allows not only to understand the situation, but also to feel the emotions of another. Sympathy and compassion must be equally present in the life of society, otherwise it will become callous and indifferent to the world around.

Compassion vs Sympathy - What's the difference?

Another similar concept is pity. It manifests itself in the form of the same empathy, but without emotional coloring, without experiencing the same emotions and feelings. Sometimes a feeling of pity is not accompanied by a desire to participate in a person's problem, but is expressed only with kind, encouraging words. In most cases, when expressing pity, a person conveys his feelings towards another, and does not experience others. Sympathy and pity are generally similar in meaning, but have different connotations.

Compassion - is it good or bad?

Many people wonder, do people need empathy? There can be two answers to this question, and each of them has its own explanation:

1. Empathy is necessary because it strengthens social bonds in society, allows people to remain human and express their emotions. By sympathizing, we show that a person is not indifferent to us.
2. If a person is upset, then sympathy can further undermine his state of mind, increase the manifestation of negative emotions and aggravate the situation. In this case, sympathy will be superfluous.

From the considered answers, we can conclude that sympathy is necessary at certain moments, depending on the situation and the emotional state of the person to whom it is directed. It is important not to overdo it and know when the manifestation of such an emotional state would be appropriate in order to truly help a person, and not vice versa, aggravate the situation.

Do you need empathy and compassion in life?

A very complex, slightly philosophical question - do people need sympathy and compassion? Most people are likely to say what is needed. Such qualities are a manifestation of caring, not indifferent attitude. It is important to convey them to children in their upbringing and personality formation. Constantly receiving a portion of emotions of compassion and sympathy, a person can demand them more and more often - he will get used to or will wait for a constant solution to his problems. He can manipulate his state to achieve goals. Therefore, it is not in vain that the expression “everything is good in moderation” exists.

How to learn to empathize?

The answer to the question of how to express empathy will depend on the specific situation. It is important to be able to sympathize correctly and in a timely manner. A person needs to be shown that they understood him, shared his experiences, but at the same time gave strength to get out of this situation. Often required:

For a more complete and deeper understanding of the meaning of this term, you can refer to some books, both for adults and children. For example:

1. Author's book Ruth Minshull "How to Choose Your People" tells about what you can pay attention to when meeting people and how to choose those who can later be called "ours". The book has a separate chapter on the concept of empathy.
2. Alex Cabrera "Fairies Talk About Empathy"- An excellent book that makes it possible to convey to the child the meaning of this concept and teach him to show sympathy at the right moments.

Books about empathy and compassion allow people to become more open and kind, teach children to be caring in some situations. By periodically reminding yourself what empathy is, and that sometimes you can’t do without it, you can make the world a better place. The manifestation of such a feeling, along with compassion and mutual assistance, leads to the cohesion of society, the establishment of social relations within it, the maintenance of traditions and the connection of generations. This is important for the development of a full-fledged, mature, stable society.

Sympathy, Compassion and Empathy are very important positive human qualities, I would say that these are the abilities of a spiritually mature Soul. The souls of a person who has experience and has gone through a lot and experienced a lot in life.

Some consider compassion and empathy as weakness or unnecessary emotions, nun, etc., but this is not the right attitude. The one whose heart is not capable of compassion and sympathy deserves only this very compassion and sympathy, because cruelty lives in his heart and God (Love) does not live.

In addition, it is very important not to confuse compassion with pity. Compassion is a bright feeling that strengthens the one to whom it is directed.

And pity is a dark and destructive feeling, and it always makes the one who is pitied even weaker and more insignificant. Compassion is a sign of Generosity, and pity is an indicator of cowardice! Read more about Pity here.

What is Compassion and Empathy?
Compassion and Sympathy is the ability of the soul to empathize, that is, to understand the feelings of another person, to understand what is happening in his soul (to understand and empathize with his victories and joys, suffering and pain).

They say that if you are capable of compassion, then you have a heart, and in your heart there is love. And it is true. A person can experience compassion only on the basis of the experience of his soul, that is, his soul remembers (even if the person himself does not remember this) when she herself was in a similar situation (in a past life or in this one) and what she experienced then (good or bad ).

About Compassion and Sympathy

On Compassion, Sympathy and Empathy:
Only a spiritually rich Soul is capable of compassion and sympathy, with rich life experience, which passed its trials with dignity, did not become angry, did not harden, did not accumulate resentment and anger against its fate and God, but kept love, humanity, faith in its heart, bright feelings. Such a person is able to console and encourage another who finds himself in a difficult situation and help him, and not drown him in suffering with his pity.

Compassion is a bright feeling when a stream of light energy (positive experience, feelings) comes out of a person’s spiritual heart and enters the heart of another person, brightening, healing and helping him survive his grief. Compassion does not mean suffering with a person, it does not mean pulling on the problems and negativity of another, it does not mean killing yourself with him, tearing him and your heart apart, no! It means to heal, including with the truth, being able to speak it with compassion and love, even if it is very bitter.

Compassion and sympathy involves the subsequent acceptance of the problem (even the most painful), the whole truth about oneself (recognition of one's sin, one's wrong) and an active solution to this problem - "Any trouble - must be eliminated!".

True sympathy, as a rule, does not end with one empathy, but involves some kind of active action to help someone who really needs this help. Pity, in itself, is fruitless, and does not imply any active and useful actions.

Compassion and generosity

About Pity:
Pity is a dark feeling, the essence of which is: "Let's suffer and destroy ourselves and each other together..." on accusations of fate, we will complain to each other what a world is not fair, what a hard life ... so you look and you don’t have to do anything ... ". Pity - does not involve active actions to eliminate the problem.

Pity destroys a person's faith, bright feelings in the heart, kills Love, although many people mistakenly believe that pity is one of the qualities of love. This is wrong! Pity is, in its purest form, indulgence (justification) for that evil in a person (his negativity, vices and weaknesses), which kills this very love! And as long as a person pities and justifies his evil, it will always live in him and destroy the soul until it grows to limitless proportions and destroys a person. There is one of two things - either you are it, or it is you, the third is not given!

Every normal and worthy person needs to learn to clearly distinguish between Sympathy and Pity. To learn to feel and understand the experiences of others so as not to feed everything dark, unworthy, vicious and weak in them, but on the contrary, encourage them to free themselves from everything that is nasty and destroys their soul. So that instead of a disgusting feeling of self-pity, helplessness and own insignificance, a person begins to feel strength, a positive charge and determination to cope with all problems, to pass any trials of fate with dignity and honor! And so that he feels that he is understood, loved, believed in and will always help.